The Greek Tycoon's Tarnished Bride (Men of the Zodiac) by Rachel Lyndhurst Read Free Book Online

handles of the buggy. “Just concentrate on where your feet are going, okay? I don ’ t want any broken limbs at this point.”
    They walked for a few more yards in silence. “That one with the red door on the left,” Erica muttered. “With the privet hedge.”
    To her annoyance he marched ahead and knocked on the door as if he was in charge. It would serve him right if Kimmie didn ’ t open up , she thought, arrogant sod .
    “Yes?” Erica ’ s friend Kimmie ’ s eyes were as wide as saucers as they took in the handsome Greek on her doorstep, and then they softened as Erica came steaming up behind him.
    “Hi, Kimmie, how ’ s Nick?” Erica injected a breezy tone into her voice in reaction to the questioning look she was being given.
    “He ’ s fine, ” the other woman said and looked from Erica to Tito as she pulled the edges of her fluffy cardigan together across her chest. “As always. Um—”
    “This is Tito,” Erica said quickly, knowing that an explanation was due.
    “ Hello, ” Kimmie said in a coy voice that couldn ’ t conceal her interest in this ridiculously handsome stranger.
    Erica coughed. “And before you ask, no, he ’ s not Nick ’ s dad. ” There was an awkward pause before the silence was broken by a small child ’ s cries. “And I recognize the sound of that particular set of lungs. We ’ ll take him off your hands so you can get on.”
    “He ’ s no trouble, babe, you know that,” Kimmie said as she opened the door wide and warm air soothed her frozen cheeks. “A piece of cake compared to some of the little beasts I have sometimes.”
    Erica could feel the heat of Tito close behind her as they stepped from the tiny hallway into a front room full of colorful toys and play equipment. Nick was sitting on the carpet chewing a set of plastic keys, saliva and snot slithering down his red cheeks as he grizzled and glared at them.
    She felt Tito ’ s hand on her shoulder, and it was almost as if he was trying to ease her out of the way so he could get to Nick. She shrugged him off and felt the heat of anger burn her cheeks. “Do you mind?” she snapped.
    His tone was also sharp. “Is he all right?”
    “Of course he is.”
    He took a step closer and to her annoyance held out his arms to the child. “So why is he crying?”
    Her protective instinct went into overdrive, and she elbowed him out of the way to pick her son up before he could touch him. “Because he ’ s teething, and he ’ s probably getting hungry now he ’ s seen me.” She turned to see his gaze zone in momentarily on her chest. “Not hungry like that , but it ’ s our routine to have breakfast together at home when he ’ s stayed over with Kimmie.”
    His voice became wistful. “He looks just like Yannis, apart from the hair.”
    Erica considered it for a moment and shrugged. “It will probably be a lot darker by the time he starts school.”
    “He looks like a cherub, golden, innocent…”
    He had no idea. “You ’ ve not seen him when he has a temper tantrum.”
    Tito took a step closer. “Can I hold him? Would he mind?”
    “ I don’ t know, he ’ s never met a man before. But you can try.”
    “There you go,” Tito said in a low voice as she handed over her warm bundle. “I ’ m not so scary now, am I?”
    Erica took on board the alarmed look on the childminder ’ s face. “ Tito is … Nick ’ s godfather, his moral guardian. It ’ s a Greek thing.”
    Kimmie nodded warily. “I see. But—”
    “ Yannis, Nick ’ s father…he ’ s dead. I just found out.”
    The other woman ’ s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh my God, I ’ m so sorry. Um, would you both like some tea?”
    Their eyes locked for a second, neither seemingly knowing what should come next. “Thanks, but not right now,” Erica said quickly. “We need to get back.”
    “Could you get all Nick ’ s stuff together for us, Kimmie?” Tito smiled at the startled woman and passed the now wriggling child back to